Climb Iztaccihuatl 5200m Mexico volcano

The indigenous Mexican people believe that Iztaccíhuatl resembles a woman lying on her back with the Ayoloco glacier her belly.

Iztaccihuatl (Izta) is the third highest mountain in Mexico and the seventh highest in North America. One of the difficulties of Iztaccihuatl is that you reach 5000m early and then have to stay above that altitude for about 3-4 hours because the summit is so far back on the sleeping woman.

According to myth, Iztaccihuatl was a Nahua princess who fell in love with her father's chief warrior Popocatépetl. Her father sent him to war, promising him Iztaccihuatl as his wife when he returned. Iztaccihuatl was falsely told that Popocatépetl had died in battle, and believing the news, she died of grief. When Popocatépetl returned to find his love dead, he took her body to a spot outside Tenochtitlan and kneeled by her grave. The gods covered them with snow and changed them into mountains.

0:06 we drove out of Puebla with views of Izta ahead
0:19 Popocatépetl (Popo) started erupting again 0:29 The route goes between Popo and Izta
0:38 We turned onto a forested rough dirt road
0:52 We got a permit at Paso de Cortes, at about 3650m between Popo and Izta
We continued driving on the rough dirt road
1:21 We arrived at La Joyita Izta base camp 3900m after driving almost 3 hours from Puebla
I had a delicious filling lunch
And then went into my tent to attempt sleep around 15:30
1:39 I woke up at 23:30 and prepared for the climb
I had a light breakfast at 0:15: coffee, toast and a banana
1:51 I started the climb at around 1am
With guide Cristian leading the way
The route climbs up among large tufts of grass
2:09 The bright lights of Mexico City shone after climbing about 75 minutes
The route climbs up the rocks
2:19 The bright lights of Puebla were visible after climbing about 110 minutes
2:32 We arrived at the Refugio de los Cien at 4700m after climbing 2:40
The crux of the ascent starts up a steep face of boulders and scree
3:15 A tall metal cross is a memorial to 11 students from Guadalajara
who died near here in 1968 after getting caught in a bad storm. 
The steep climb up boulders and scree continues
3:38 We arrived at the ‘knee’ 5065m at 5:20am after climbing 4:20 from base camp
The ruins of the Luis Mendez Hut, devastated in a particularly powerful storm
Pico de Orizaba on the horizon beyond the Puebla city lights
4:01 The lights of Mexico City on one side of the route
With Pico de Orizaba and the Puebla city lights on the other side
4:32 We arrived at crampon point above Ayoloco Glacier at 6:05
The moon shone brightly above the Peña Aguilera ridge
4:57 The Ayoloco Glacier descent was easy and safe
5:22 The view ahead included the summit
And the Peña Ombligo rock spire
Malinche and Pico de Orizaba shone bright above the clouds
5:57 The sunrise over Ayoloco Glacier was spectacular
My guide Cristian, Dangles and me at sunrise with the summit over my shoulder
6:15 The sun casts the Izta shadow
Peña Ordoñez and the Arista del Sol (second last Izta) summit highlighted by sunrise
6:39 We passed the Peña Ombligo rock spire
With the Arista del Sol and true Izta summit ahead
7:08 Guide Cristian leads up the Arista del Sol, the penultimate summit
7:21 And finally we could see the short climb to the true Izta summit
7:33 After climbing for 6:45, I made my final steps to the Izta summit at about 5200m
Jerome Ryan, Dangles and guide Cristian on the Iztaccihuatl summit 5200m
8:01 The Izta summit panorama starts with Glaciar del Pecho
8:18 La Malinche and Pico de Orizaba
8:33 Popocatépetl (Popo) with Monte Venus, Peña Aguilera and the Ayoloco Glacier below
8:50 Nevado de Toluca
And finishes with the Glaciar del Pecho
9:04 We descended the Ayoloco route, shorter but more difficult at first
The route initially alternates between rocks and steep snow
The route then traverses gently downward with occasional boulders to traverse
9:26 The Refugio de Ayoloco McAllister was below
The route is well below the Izta knees
9:39 And then it is a long gentle slog
9:55 Back to La Joyita Izta base camp, twelve and a half hours after leaving